Digitalised vertical substations will be a game changer for the power sector

This article highlights the importance of digital technology with a focus on substations, and the advantages it offers for productivity and reliability.

Efficient asset management is crucial, and the company has implemented an Asset Management Framework that prioritises reliability-centred maintenance over conventional preventive maintenance. This shift requires the use of digital technology, which is essential to achieving the company’s goals of zero harm, superior availability, and the highest reliability of assets.

Designing vertical substations
As the need for expansion of the transmission network grows, a challenge for the transmission sector is obtaining land or access to build substations. In urban areas, land suffocation is of prime consideration. To address this challenge, a new design has come up in terms of vertical substations with a 60 to 70 percent footprint reduction. These vertical GIS substations, like the three built near the Gurgaon area, consist of a 400 KV substation with a 400 KV GIS on the ground floor, 220 KV G on the first floor, and a 220 KV open switchyard on the top floor. This design is built on only 3.5 acres of land, whereas a similar circulation of AI and AIS would require 25-35 acres of land. Prefabricated structures also add up to cost and time savings.

While technology is available, affordability of the technology and upskilling of manpower are equally important to achieve better productivity, reliability, and efficiency.

Central monitoring and control
To ensure proper operational control and monitoring of assets, all 12 substations on transmission lines connected to substations are centrally monitored, controlled, and operated from a remote control centre at Bhopal. This allows operations to be carried out with operational data and generated alerts, and all SCADA systems have been integrated with proper cybersecurity measures.

To improve the health of equipment, such as transformers and reactors, various technologies are available from the OEM site. These include online DGA monitors, bushing monitoring, and online moisture removal, which many utilities are now deploying.

Weather predictability and maintenance planning
Weather and climate change pose a challenge for substations and transmission lines. However, by accessing better information and predictability models, resources and their mobility can be planned in case of emergencies. IndiGrid subscribes to a weather data and forecasting model to plan maintenance schedules and ensure proper calibration of maintenance and mobilisation of resources.

Stakeholder engagement and government efforts
Stakeholder engagement and collaboration among all stakeholders have been noticeable in recent times. The Indian government has formed a task force to create a blueprint for substations and the transmission sector to become smart and future-ready. The task force has given several recommendations, and IndiGrid hopes these recommendations will translate into actions that will make the transmission and substation future-ready and smart.

As the need for expansion of the transmission network grows, a challenge for the transmission sector is obtaining land or access to build substations. In urban areas, land suffocation is of prime consideration. To address this challenge, a new design has come up in terms of vertical substations with a 60 to 70 percent footprint reduction. These vertical GIS substations, like the three built near the Gurgaon area, consist of a 400 KV substation with a 400 KV GIS on the ground floor, 220 KV G on the first floor, and a 220 KV open switchyard on the top floor. This design is built on only 3.5 acres of land, whereas a similar circulation of AI and AIS would require 25-35 acres of land. AP prefabricated structures also add up to cost and time savings.